White Consolidated Industries, Inc.

Electrolux Home Products, Inc.

Zippy Technology Corporation

Rick L Gunderson

David J Donaghy

Joseph E Brand

Harold S Mawby

Robert J Turnbull

Ronald G Prusinski

Ace Fairchild

William V Stieben

Shih-Hsien Hsu

Thomas Frost

Marvin L Spohn

An ice maker equipped with a convection fan includes a control box, an ice making tray, a water intake unit and an ice sweeping shaft. The control box holds at least one convection fan and has at least one air inlet and one air outlet to allow the convection fan to generate cooling air convection to accelerate cooling speed and improve ice making efficiency.

Ice maker equipped with a convection fan

An assembly for installation in a refrigerator provides an enclosure for conducting service lines therethrough and an air filter unit mounted to the enclosure. The air filter unit includes an air filter housing that contains an air filter and includes openings for the ingress of air from the refrigerator which, after passing through the air filter, is discharged to the refrigerator interior through discharge openings in the air filter housing. Means such as a fan is provided to establish a flow of air through the air filter housing. The air filter unit has utility separately from the enclosure for conducting service lines in which case the air filter housing includes first and second portions that are pivotally connected to one another. The air filter within the air filter housing is supported by one of the first and second portions of the air filter housing.

Air filter and service line enclosure for a refrigerator

An assembly for installation in a refrigerator provides comprises an enclosure for conducting service lines therethrough and an air filter unit mounted to the enclosure. The air filter unit includes an air filter housing that contains an air filter and includes openings for the ingress of air from the refrigerator which, after passing through the air filter, is discharged to the refrigerator interior through discharge openings in the air filter housing. Means such as a fan is provided to establish a flow of air through the air filter housing. The air filter unit has utility separately from the enclosure for conducting service lines in which case the air filter housing includes first and second portions that are pivotally connected to one another. The air filter within the air filter housing is supported by one of the first and second portions of the air filter housing.

Air filter unit and service line enclosure for a refrigerator

An improved electrical connector assembly and a method for installing the same quickly and efficiently in a refrigerator door conduit. The assembly provides a hollow member, or water tube, and an electrical connector having a locator and a stop surface. The method involves assembling the electrical connector and the hollow member by placing the locator within the hollow member and applying a force on the hollow member to push the electrical connector through the conduit.

Electrical connector for a refrigerator and method of installing

An insulated door for use in a refrigerator having an ice and water through the door dispenser is made by attaching a liner for housing the dispenser on the rear face of the door in line with a front opening. The liner is secured to the door as are the hinge bearings and a tube extends between the liner and the lower hinge bearing for conducting electrical wires and a water tube. The only opening in the liner is at a point to receive ice cubes from the dispenser in the refrigerator and this opening is covered prior to foaming. The door is placed in a foaming fixture which completely enclosed and supports the door and the liner and foam is injected so that the foam, when expanded and hardened, completely covers the rear face of the door. After the door is removed from the foaming fixture, the thin layer of foam at the inlet opening is cut away and the door is completed by adding the liner and the gaskets and other hardware as well as the dispensing unit itself.

Refrigerator door construction

A mullion mounted door hinge assembly for pivotally guiding upper and lower doors of a refrigerator. The hinge assembly includes a bracket which slidably accepts a generally cylindrical hinge pin. The hinge pin has a larger diameter center section and a pair of relatively smaller diameter end sections. Each of the end sections of the hinge pin extend into an accommodating opening in the upper or lower doors. The upper door is supported on an upwardly directed surface of the center section. A downwardly directed surface of the center section is supported by the lower door. A substantial portion of the weight of the upper door is transferred to the lower door and supported by the lower hinge means. A second preferred embodiment provides a stop means which engages a stop surface at a desired angular opening of the upper door of a refrigerator. The stop means includes a resilient terminal portion which deforms when the force thereon exceeds a predetermined threshold level to allow the upper door to open beyond the desired angular opening. The predetermined threshold level is determined by the amount of force which the hinge can sustain.

Growing community of inventors

Greenville, MI, United States of America

Rick L Gunderson